Continuous ore-treating furnace



'Feb. 9,1926. 1,572,291

W. P. JOBSON CONTINUOUS ORE TREATING FURNACE Filed Au ust 15, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 9,1926. 1,572,291

- W. P. JOBSON CONTINUOUS ORE TREATING FURNACE Filed August 1 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 as -32 41 i ran-: -+='I F 19 4'2- E:

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W. F. JOBSON CONTINUOUS ORE TREATING FURNACE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed August 15, 192-4 Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM P. JOBSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB T0 HARVEY S. SOUDER, OF SOUDERTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTINUOUS ORE-TREATING FURNACE.

Application filed August 15, 1924. Serial No. 732,243.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM P. Jonson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Continuous Ore-Treating Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the treatment of ores and has special reference to a retorting and by-product ore treating furnace.

One important object of the invention is to improve the general construction of a device of this character.

A second important object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this character having multiple retorts fed from a common source of supply and communicating with. a common by-productscrubber and fume condenser.

A third important object of the invention is to provide an improved intermittent feed of the retorts so that the process becomes continuous.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide a novel mechanism for moving the ore under the treatment from one end to the other of the several retorts.

A fifth important object of the inven tion is to provide a novel and improved form of scrubber and fume condenser.

lVith the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafter apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.-

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and:

Figure 1 is a side elevation in outline showing an ore treating device constructed inaccordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a front view thereof.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4i-4c of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional View through one of the retorts.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail showing in side elevation the ore moving mechanlsm in such a retort.

Figure 7 is a partial vertical sectional View of the scrubber on an enlarged scale.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the side furnace plates showing the refractory lining thereof.

Figure 9 is a top plan view of one of the hoe blades in a retort.

. Figure 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of Figure 1.

Figure 11 is a section on the line1111 of Figure 7 Figure 12 1s a sectional view through the valve mechanlsm and its actuatlng means.

In the present embodiment of the invention the device has been shown as eonstructed for three retorts and three furnaces, but it is obvious that the proportions of the several parts, the number of retorts and other details may be varied at will without departing from the principle involved. The a present showing and description is, there fore, to be taken as typical as one of a number of forms of the device which come within the scope of the appended claims.

This form is provided with a frame consisting of spaced pairs of vertical side bars 10 which are connected at their upper ends by longitudinal bars 12 tied together by transverse saddle bars 13. Supported by the vertical frame members 10 are a series of retorts 14 arranged one above the other, the bottom retort being spaced above the ground and spaces being left between adjacent retorts so that below each retort there is provided a furnace or fire box 15 formed of suit-able metallic plates, as at 16 in Figure 8, which are lined with a refractory substance 17 p for conserving the heat. At one end of each of these fire boxes, preferably the front end, is an oil burner 18 which may be of any preferred or desired form and the details of which are not deemed necessary here to be shown. The other end of each fire box communicates with the lower part or trunk 19 of a stack 20 so that the prodnets of combustion from the oil burner may be carried off. Supported on the rear end of the frame is a hopper 21 having its side and front walls angularly inclined to the bottom plate 22 which is provided with a series of openings 23 equal in number to the retorts 14. This hopper bottom has a slot 24: extending longitudinally therethrough and to the bottom are secured feed pipes 25 which register with the Openings 23. Mounted in the slot Qetis a valve plate 26 having openings 27 which, by movement" of the valve plate in the slot, may be brought into and out of register with the openings or ports 23.

This movement is effected by means of a connecting rod 28 which connects one end -of the plate 26 with a corresponding disk 29 carried on a shaft 30 supported on suitable bearings on'top of the frame and driven by a belt 31 from a main driving shaft 32 supported in front of the device in bars 33 and driven by some suitable source of power not deemed necessary here to be shown. The pipes 25 connect with the rear ends of the respective retorts., In each of these re.- torts is mounted a longitudinally extending rod Set which carries a series of spaced hoe blades 35 each having a pair of ears 36 embracing the rod 34 and connected thereto by a pivot. pin 37. Furthermore, each hoe. blade has a rearwardly extending finger 39 which, when the plate 35 is ver-, tical, engages the underside of the rod 30 and prevents further rearward swinging of the blade. At the same time the construction is such that the blades may swing to the dotted line position at 36 as the rod 39 moves rearwardly. These rods project through the front ends of the hoppers and are connected substantially to corresponding disks 10, mounted on shafts 41 which also carry belt wheels 12, around which runs a belt 43. This belt 43 also passes around a driving wheel 41-4: fixed on the shaft 82. By this means, during the operation of the machine, the rods 34: are continuously reciprocated so thatthe hoe blades slide back over the ore in the retort, not moving the ore. rearward during rearward movement of the rod and drawing the ore forward during forward movement so that it eventually drops out of the chutes d5 at the front of said retorts. Resting on the saddle bar 13 is a cylindrical tank 46 and from each of the retorts extends a pipe 47 which communicates' with this tank above its horizontal center line so as to be above. the normal level of water 48 in the bottom of saidtank. Through this tank extends a hollow shaft 19 having mounted thereon, at intervals,

hollow drums 50 provided with spirally disposed peripheral perforations 51. Each of these drums communicate with the truck 49 through openings 52. On the shaft 49 is a belt pulley 53 which is connected by a belt 55: with a belt pulley 55 on the upper most shaft 41. Atthe front end of the shaft 19 is a swivel connection 56 by means of which it is connected toa water supply pipe 7 57. Extending downward from the uncersideofthe tank 16 is a draw-off pipe 58 and extending upward from said tank 15 an escape pipe 59.

Now in operation the ore is fed intermittently by the action of the valve plate at the bottom of the hopper into the forward ends of the retorts. Vhen in the retorts it is gradually, moved toward the fronts bythe hoe blades and discharged through the chutes 4:5. During the progress of the ore through the retorts the furnaces are operated and the retortsare thus heated to the proper degree necessary in the treatment of the particularore. The fumes from the ore pass off through the pipe 17 and by reason of the water spray through the drum perforation these fumes have to pass through the successive sheets of water, so that the soluble and solid portions of the fumes are thrown down with the water into the bottom of the tank 46 and they pass off through the draw-off pipe 58. At the same time, such clean gases as may not be soluble can pass off through the pipe 59-but it is to be noticed that while the pipe 59 has been described as a water pipe any suitable liquid chemical may be used which will absorb or precipitate practically all of the volatile matter driven off from the ore.

There has thus beenprovided a simple and efficient device of thekind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. A device ofthe kind described, a retort, means for heating said retort, means for intermittently supplying ore to the said retort, means for intermittently moving the ore longitudinally of the retort,-means for drawing off fumes from the retort, and means for washing the draw-off fumes and precipitating the solid matter therein.

2. In a device of the kind described, a retort, means for-intermittently interrupting communication between the hopper and retort, means for intermittently moving ore through the retort from the endcommunieating with the hopper to the remaining end, means for permitting treated ore to pass from the retort, means for drawing ofi fumes from the retort, and means for washing the drawn off fumes and precipitating the solid matter therein.

3. In a device of the kind described, a series of retorts, a hopper, pipes each leading from said hopper to the rear end of a respective retort, a valve mechanism intermittently and simultaneously cutting oft communication between the hopper and the retorts, a washing drum above said retorts,

pipes each leading from a respective retort t0 the washing drum, and means for intermittently moving the ore from the rear end of the hopper toward the front thereof.

4. In a device of the kind described, a se ries of retorts, a hopper, pipes each leading from said hopper to the rear end of "a respective retort, a valve mechanism intermittently and simultaneously cutting off communication between the hopper and the retorts, a washing drum above said retorts,

pipes each leading from a respective retort to the Washing drum,mea-ns for intermittently moving the ore from the rear end of the hopper toward the front thereof, said retorts being arranged one above the other in spaced relation, furnaces interposed between said retorts and below the lower retort, and a stack entering the rear endof said furnace.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

W. P. JOBSON. 

